It Starts to Sink In
by NnytheStampede
Summary: The End. CHAPTER THREE DONE. FA. RR please. (now complete)
1. Think On It

Hitchhiker Slash

Ford/Arthur – PG

1/11/05

_Disclaimer_: I don't own it. No harm is intended.

_A/N:_ If you don't like slash, what are you doing here? There is another part after this, but I'm having a bit of trouble with it. Please review if you have the time. Flames are accepted, but are usually printed out, pasted to my kitchen cupboards, and giggled at when I make coffee before class in the mornings. Sorry if my writing style is no match for Mr. Adams'.

Plopped in Chapter 21** : "Life, The Universe And Everything."**

(_Sections straight from the book will be put in bold lettering. Which means I didn't write it, I know I didn't write it, and I'm not taking credit for it. It's more there just to help the reader realize where they are in the story line of the book._))

"It Starts to Sink In"

**Ford Prefect writhed past, dancing a wild, frenetic and not entirely unobscene dance with someone who looked as if she were wearing Sydney Opera House on her head. He was yelling a futile conversation at her above the din.**

Arthur Dent felt a familiar twist in his gut and a large amount of blood boil toward his cheeks as he watched the two interact. He could not remember where he had felt this feeling before, but knew it had been an unpleasant time. The little man before him glanced enthusiastically from Arthur's face to Ford's ever changing position in the crowd, back to Arthur, back to Ford, and so on. Before the little man could manage to give himself whiplash, Arthur began to blurt out, unexpectedly, his life's story as he kept a trained eye on Ford Prefect's wild party-going skills. He told of his planet being blown up to make way for a By-Pass, and of the Vogons, of the mice who built his planet, and many other happenings up until then, and his feelings toward them individually. Arthur found it intriguing that a bit of pleasure struck him every time the Opera House struck Ford in the head.

At the end of Arthur's story, the little man asked a question that caused Arthur to choke and spray his drink. He asked, "**and did you have a wonderful time**_?"_

It is said that the people of Earth talk constantly because if they were to stop their brains would start working. This happened to be what was occurring with Arthur Dent at the moment he lost control of his drink. While the little man encouraged an impressive coughing attack ensemble between them, Arthur's brain had been trying to figure out where the sense of deja vu previously mentioned had come from, but by then it had also been asked to find a suitable answer to the little man's question. However, this sort of contemplation required much more oxygen fuel than the current chorus of hacks was permitting, and so Arthur's brain sat back and waited, thoroughly miffed. When the little man finally seemed pleased with their work, he shook Arthur's hand and disappeared into the party. **Arthur shook his head in astonishment**

" That's where I've felt that before," Arthur said aloud for now particular reason.

It had occurred to Arthur, once nourishment reached the brain, the resentful feeling that had twisted his gut was the same he had felt back on Earth; at a party. This particular party had been in Islington. It was the same feeling Arthur experienced when Phil, now Zaphod Beeblebrox, had quite easily extracted Tricia McMillian, now Trillian, from Arthur's would be courtship. It was, as Arthur's brain was currently having ample time to ponder about, jealousy that he had felt towards Ford's situation. Arthur Dent's eyes traveled the top of the building, and found it rather simple to spot the Opera House lady. He found her to be quite unattractive, and blamed this immediately on Sydney.

But if it had not been _her_, then why had he gotten so upset? Earthmen were also known to frown when they let their brains do any work, and so Arthur frowned. He was deep in the process of thinking when a finger jabbed Arthur's side quite, ' viciously', he thought.

" What's with the face?" Ford's presence forced Arthur's neck hairs to stand on end.

" What?" Arthur asked in a way that said he _did_ know, but was going to pretend to be oblivious. And as Earthmen go, he might have been oblivious. In any case, Ford ignored it.

" This is a party, Arthur," Ford said exasperated, " so party."

" I'm here to help save the universe," he defended.

" Right, right. Well, save the universe _while_ you party."

"Ford. I really don't see how dancing around and making a fool of oneself is going to help the universe."

" Who's a fool?"

" Never mind."

Ford grinned wide enough to show both rows of teeth, and grabbed Arthur steadily by the arm.

" Come, Arthur. Let's find you a nice girl to dance with." Ford began to drag Arthur through the crowd of people performing his slightly offending dance, keeping a look out for anyone suitable.

" Ford," Arthur whined, " _Must_ you move like that?"

" What's wrong with it?" Ford stopped and looked at Arthur innocently.

" Well, quite honestly it's scaring me."

" Scaring- Oh fine then. We'll dance _your _ way, but I'll warn you now it won't attract anything sumptuous."

The first thing Arthur wanted to say to that was that, he wished Ford wouldn't say any_thing,_ and secondly he wished that Ford would refrain from using food words to describe the party goers. This urge to correct Ford's choice of vocabulary fled Arthur's mouth when his friend grabbed him about the waste, a hand, and began to waltz about the party. It was not a proper waltz, but then Arthur was sure he did not know what a proper waltz was. It was still a close enough match to make Arthur feel flustered and not all together light headed. His brain would reason that the second feeling was due to the constant spinning Ford was exacting on them in his attempts to look in all directions.

" Ford what _are_ you doing?"

" What does it look like I'm doing, Earthman?"

" Please don't call me that. Zaphodcalls me that," Arthur glared and added, " And it looks quite a lot like you're dancing with me, Ford."

" Don't give me that look, Arthur. I'm trying to do you a favor. Zark knows you wouldn't be able to get a dance with anyone else if it were left to you."

Arthur looked appalled. Ford flamboyantly twirled Arthur Dent away from his own body in a grand sweep that might have passed off as part of the waltz, and quite violently jerked him back when Arthur attempted to keep twirling out of reach and away from the party. For the next round of steps Ford tightened his grip.

" You look absolutely disgusted with me."

At first Arthur could not conjure a response to this. He did in fact look very disgusted with the situation, however it had nothing to do with the conversation. Arthur's stomach had begun to do a new twist. One that left his insides humming pleasurably in comparison with the few moments before the twirl. His breathing had increased to catch up with his rapidly beating heart, and his brain was once again left sitting on the sidelines. These combined events had sent him into quiet disgust with his inability to control anything.

When he regained his attention to the issue at hand it was too late for any sort of vocal protest, and so he settled on trying to shoot microscopic daggers out of his skin and into Ford Prefect. Given a sufficient amount of time, he might have actually managed to accomplish this. The expression this caused to appear on his face would have made the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal proud. It also enticed another teeth whitening smile from Ford.

" Honestly, how do you expect to get any girls with a look like that?"

The smile widened considerably and Ford pressed himself closer to the enraged Arthur Dent. It is widely known in certain parts of the galaxy that the best form of entertainment might very well be the purposeful irritation of a humanoid from Earth. It is also very widely known in certain parts of the galaxy that when you want to further agitate an already agitated man from Earth it is best to bait him by appearing to not give a fig at all about the fact that he is agitated. By doing so you will increase the level of his agitation by the eighth power and send him into a sometimes dizzying, but highly entertaining, array of vocalizations. For example, Arthur Dent.

" Bloody... Ford I am not here to join you in parading about a party drunk and making a fool of myself. I am here because the universe, a place I have come to know recently, is in jeopardy of being destroyed. I, despite being just introduced to the rest of the universe, have decided that I rather like being ALIVE in it, and if it is destroyed by those Krikkit things, I can only assume I will be too."

There was no answer from Ford. But he had stopped twirling so frequently. His attention was no longer wavering aimlessly around the crowd, but determinedly settled on Arthur Dent's face.

" _I don't like being dead Ford_!" Arthur finished. To add weight to his words, which he was afraid were flying through one of Ford's ears and out of the other, Arthur hissed them through clenched teeth. It seemed to work.

" I see," and he slowed the pace of their dance far below the suggested beat of the music.

"..."

Arthur Dent's heart rate had been steadily climbing during the entire course of the conversation, and had reached a point at which it was either going to stop or begin to pump the blood directly into other parts of his body. After hearing the declaration of wanting to stay alive, the heart opted for the second choice and what can only be described as a furious blush began it's travels over Arthur's features. Noticing this, and not being able to explain it caused Arthur to panic considerably.

" Ford let go of me."

" Why?"

" Because I said so. I'm tired of dancing."

" But I haven't even managed to pick one of those girls out for you." He nodded in some direction, but Arthur ignored it.

" I don't care. I don't want to dance with girls."

" What?"

" Just let me go, Ford!"

" What's gotten into you, man?" Ford had by now realized he had lost control of this particular conversation, but was determined to keep a steady grip on the now struggling Arthur.

" Nothing. Now let me go!"

" Arthur... Are you blushing?"

" Oh, for the love of... Ford if you don't let me go this instant I'll-"

" You'll what?"

" _I'll-_" Arthur jerked himself free of Ford's grasp, and stumbled backwards a few feet into a dancing couple who grumbled and grumped about kill-joys. They moved away stealthily, eager to place distance between themselves and the heavily breathing humanoid. It was here that Arthur realized he had not managed to successfully threaten Ford Prefect.

Ford's smirk was decidedly superior when he said, " See? Harmless**..**"

" _Mostly harmless, _Ford."

The threat, if that was what it was intended to be, came out rather well, Arthur thought.

Ford only indulged his smile, " You are aware that the chances of us stopping the Krikkit and saving the universe are very slim, if not impossible."

Arthur nodded.

" Suit yourself," Ford disappeared into the party once more.

Arthur remained where he was blushing and breathing noticeably. He struggled to find reasoning behind his body's actions, and his current embarrassment in front of Ford Prefect. His body barely had returned to normal when **a youngish-looking man came up to him, an aggressive-looking type with a hook mouth, a lantern nose and small beady little cheekbones.**

End Part 1


	2. Sinking

HHG

Arthur/Ford

PG

_Disclaimer:_ Don't own it. No offense is intended.

_A/N:_ If you don't like slash couplings then you shouldn't be reading this. Reviews are hearted, flames are accepted. However, flames are also printed out, and pasted to my kitchen cupboards so I can laugh and mock them while making coffee before class every morning.

Somewhere in Chapter 23 of : **Life the Universe and Everything**

_((Bold text is straight from the book and isn't mine))_

It Starts to Sink In

Part 2

The party had turned out to be a bust, literally, when the robots of Krikkit showed up with a loud "whop." Ford Prefect had a suspicion this would be the case even when they arrived. He recalled grabbing a few items he felt would be useful in the future, an unopened bottle, a bag of potato chips, and Slartibartfast who had hold of the teleport device which would ensure him not to die. Also, he had planned to grab his friend Arthur Dent, but decided against it after seeing the mess the Earthman was getting himself into. Arthur had been trying to extricate one Tricia McMillian from the albeit large, but loving clutches of a Thunder God.

Ford had the unusual feeling of terror gripping his chest when he saw Thor raising his enormous hammer with what was obviously violent intent toward the small figure of Arthur. By some unfathomable reasoning of the universe, Arthur was not crushed into a blaze of lightning, but managed to trick Thor into leaving. They all thus escaped very much unscathed.

When they all emerged on the bridge of the spaceship _Bistromath, _Ford found himself still breathing heavily. There was no doubt in his mind that Arthur should have been smashed, but he was standing next to him breathing heavily too. The Betelgeuse equivalent for "tears of relief" began to make themselves a nice home in the eyes of Ford Prefect. It should be mentioned that men from small planets in the vicinity of Betelgeuse do not normally need this amount of moisture in the eye region. Ford himself had never experienced this much of an emotional reaction to anything, with the exception of one trip to an Earth Astronomy exhibit. He had not been able to explain that reaction either. Ford tried to blink the tears into nonexistence.

When they persisted he thought, ' Don't Panic,' and focused his attention on the person he was pretty sure had evoked such an emotional response.

" You are a BLOODY lunatic!" He yelled at Arthur Dent.

Arthur reeled back a few feet.

" Eh-" was the only thing he could come up with in response.

" What the hell did you think you were doing?"

" Huh?"

" I'm not sure about some of the rules that were on Earth, but being that I was on that miserable heap for fifteen years I'll make an educated guess and say that taking on a Thunder God is probably NOT up there on things you should do!" Ford fumed. Tears he had generated earlier were now evaporating due to the heat from his anger.

Arthur Dent's wits finally caught up to him.

" Well someone had to save Trillian!" Arthur shouted to make his words seem as important as the ones Ford was shouting.

Not to be out done Ford increased his own decibel level.

" If you had been paying attention, Trillian wasn't exactly in need of any saving."

" Yes she was, Ford. Weren't you Trillian?"Arthur paused.

Her reaction was not what he had planned. He had thought that Trillian would have agreed with him furtively, and thus driving home his side of the argument. When she shrugged vaguely and made a small sighing sound he decided to plow ahead anyway.

" If I hadn't stepped in she might have been carted off by that- that- Thor man."

"God." Slartibartfast corrected, fiddling with the controls that would open the door to the bridge.

" Fine, god. The point is I was rather brave to stand up to a god to save a good friend from a sticky end."

" No you were being foolish."

" You're just mad because I'm not a coward."

"Huh?" Ford's voice lowered.

" Oh no! The great Ford Prefect, froodiest hitchhiker that he is stood cowering behind an old man, while his friend courageously stood up to a deity. A friend, that up until now, has been seen as quite a puss I should expect."

**" All right," shouted Ford at Arthur, " so I'm a coward, the point is I'm still alive."**

The argument seemed to die out from there, and Slartibartfast went to the couch in front of the piloting controls. Briefly Arthur tried to engage his help, but he reasoned that there were much more pressing matters than the quarrel of the two men. Trillian also became tired of their bickering, grabbed Ford's potato chips while he was distracted, and went to find herself some answers. Arthur inquired about her whereabouts in an unconcerned tone as he continued to fume from his argument with Ford.

**" And where are my potato chips?" said Ford.**

**" They are both," said Slartibartfast, without looking up, " in the room of Informational Illusions. I think that your young lady friend is trying to understand some problems of Galactic history. I think the potato chips are probably helping her."**

Ford and Arthur stood, backs to each other, huffing in frustration for long minutes until Slartibartfast finally turned to them and said, " Please, take your childish argument out of this room. You are very distracting."

"Fine."

"Fine." Arthur echoed and they both stalked into the hallway.

Slartibartfast rubbed his temples trying to coax the headache to go away, and directed the _Bistromath_ to its destination.

It has been said by many a philosopher over time and space that war is very simple. To win you must beat back your opponent at all costs. There is no dealing in matters of the heart. However, when matters of said organ to play a role in a disagreement, especially between two sides whose heartly matters run along the same lines, it often creates complications that lengthen the time of the disagreement. Situations also do not clear up when both sides are as stubborn as The Buggblatter Beast of Traal. Thusly, our particular war raged on in a small hallway of the ship.

" I think you're just angry because I thought to do something you hadn't."

" No, I'm angry because I didn't know you had a death wish."

This was, in fact, very close, but not quite the reason Ford was angry.

" What's that suppose to mean?"

" If I had known you weren't fond of living, I wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of rescuing you."

" Rescuing me?"

" I wouldn't have bothered to save you when the Earth bit the dust."

This also was almost entirely untrue.

Arthur's blood felt as if it were turning to ice inside his veins. A large, angry glare spread across his features. Arthur Dent was extremely offended, and in about three seconds time he would let Ford know this.

So, it should be noted here what Ford Prefect was actually feeling toward Arthur Dent. As the following explosions of dialog exchanged may lead one to believe otherwise. Ford was indeed upset with his friend, however not in the way he was currently carrying on about. He was just now realizing something he had not considered when he saved Arthur from the Earth. Nor had the thought approached his mind during the excitement, adventures, and other really wild things occurring at frequent rates in his vicinity. The thought was this... Why? Why had he done it?

Arthur Dent's thoughts seemed to be running along those exact lines because he spat, " Then why the hell _did _you bother?"

* * *

Ford adjusted his bag and stared at the sky. Only a few minutes to go, and he would be back out in space, hitchhiking away until his froody little heart exploded with glee. Only fifteen minutes until his time on Earth was done. Ford passed by a bunch of bulldozers on his way to the pub. On further inspection, he realized they were lined up in front of his friend Arthur Dent's house. ' Poor chap,' Ford thought and continued walking.

Arthur was a nice enough guy, a little slow at times, but what earthman was quick when it came to brains? Not many, Ford mused. Ford Prefect halted and winced when a loud shriek of, " **Oh shut up! Shut up and go away, and take your bloody bypass with you. You haven't got a leg to stand on and you know it."** It was most certainly Arthur's voice. Something unknown to Ford tightened in his chest.

When he tried to move, his body would not allow it. Quickly he looked around from some kind of gravity device causing his disability, but when none was found he reasoned it was of his own body's will. ' Just forget him, Ford,' he tried to berate himself, ' it's sad, but the theology works. Has worked, will work!'

Ford looked at his watch. Thirteen minutes to go. Rather than stand there and try to figure out what exactly had made his body rebel, Ford cursed loudly, startling a nearby construction worker, and marched toward the voices at the front of the demolition team.

"Belgium!" Ford swore again, and men literally moved five feet from his path, clearing the way. ' This is absolutely, zarking ridiculous! He's just a stupid ape. I shouldn't be risking life and limb for him. He's like a pet for pities sake!' Ford ranted internally.

The man from the vicinity of Betelgeuse whirled around the front of the bull dozer, took one look at his pajama clad friend, lying in thick mud, with a terribly resolute face on, and lost his nerve. ' I just want him to live.'

**" Hello, Arthur,"** Ford had managed to say softly.

* * *

The flashback over, Ford blinked rapidly a few times before fixing an unending blue gaze at Arthur Dent. He was hurt, and feeling vulnerable under the ape descendent's glare, and wanted nothing more at the moment than to be rid of that feeling.

" And I suppose you'd rather I hadn't? Well, I'll remember that the next time we're in mortal peril." Ford tried to walk away.

In a surprising flurry of movement, Arthur stepped in front of his escape route.

" That didn't answer the question, Ford."

Unable to cope with the situation, and by now having totally lost his cool, Ford's baser instincts grabbed hold of his tongue and forced him to shout, " I just didn't want you to die! Is that so hard to for you to wrap your tiny little brain around? Don't get me wrong earthman, I tried to leave the planet with out you, zark it all, but I couldn't! You were lying in that mud looking so stubborn and innocent to everything that was going on around you... I thought for a second what it might be like hitchhiking again, but for some reason my imagination wouldn't let me think about it without you there in the picture!"

Ford was advancing with his teeth bared, and Arthur began to back away with one hand covering his jugular.

" I have tried so hard to keep you alive, Arthur. You have no idea the stress that runs through me every time we get separated. What you did today, taking on that Thunder God was completely insane! I don't know what in the hell I would do if something actually managed to kill you... But if you're so determined, then you can do what you like, because I don't need that kind of stress hanging over my head."

The two men were so close that their noses touched. And against his better judgment Arthur Dent's inherent biological stupidity blurted out, " Sod off. I don't need you."

Stepping back and regaining his froody exterior, Ford nodded consent, and walked back toward the bridge. The man from Earth slumped against the wall, and in a stroke of sudden, out of place and random, brilliance realized the reason for his flustered reactions toward Ford's presence during the party. Arthur's mind raced, and he opened his mouth to apologize to Ford's retreating figure, but was interrupted by Trillian exiting the room of Informational Illusions.

It would be some years before Arthur thought of any of this again, and by then, it would have been too late.

* * *

A/N again: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Please do so again, as there will be one more chapter to this story. And I need a boost to get it done. I doubt there will be a 3 month gap, as college classes for me are over. This chapter wasn't as great as the first, but I'll admit I have struggled with it. The third will live up to the first, all though it'll be shorter, it wraps things up nicely. 


	3. Submerged, Not Suppressed

HG2G

Ford/Arthur

PG-13

_Disclaimer:_ Don't own it. No offense is intended.

_Disclaimer Two:_ If you don't like slash couplings then you shouldn't be reading this. Reviews are hearted, flames are accepted. However, flames are also printed out, and pasted to my kitchen cupboards so I can laugh and mock them while making coffee before class every morning.

_(Lines straight from the book are placed in bold lettering so that YOU know they aren't mine. I, of course, already know they do not belong to me, but I put them there for you, the reader's sake. Trust me, you'd be lost with out them. I just wanted to make sure you knew I wasn't taking credit for it.) _

Chapter 39: So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

_**Chapter 25: Mostly Harmless major spoilers**_

A/N: Thanks to all who are reviewing. This is the final chapter, but please do let me know how you liked it. Or didn't like, whatever... And for those of you who are in need of something a little dirtier after this, I'll take this opportunity to pimp my other HG2G fic "The Tea Is Cold." It's been fun! Also this is unbeta-ed.

IN HONOR OF TOWEL DAY: MAY 25TH 2005. We miss you Douglas.

It Starts to Sink In

Part 3

Years and adventures ticked by in the galaxy, and indeed so did the digital watch on Arthur Dent's wrist. The watch itself had stopped working properly some time ago, but being that Arthur was indeed human, he found it comforting to keep the useless piece securely attached to his person at all times. The digital watch even bathed with the poor man, who wandered about the galaxy aimlessly.

That is until his planet appeared once more. After a series of extraordinary events, and yet again escaping his planet, Arthur and his watch, found themselves on a space ship, implemented into their lives by Arthur's former best friend and now long time acquaintance Ford Prefect. Another had joined the earthman's life. A nice young lady by the name of Fenchurch. It was now what could be said to be a very late hour, and Arthur was having trouble sleeping. The sound of guns startled him awake every time he managed to fall asleep.

**Being careful not to wake Fenchurch, who was still managing to sleep fitfully, he slid his way out of the maintenance hatchway that they had fashioned into a kind of bunk for themselves, slung himself down the access ladder, and prowled the corridors moodily.**

Eventually he found his former friend Ford Prefect, and sat down to placidly watch Earth movies with him. Something was nagging at his mind, however, and his concentration kept wavering from the screen, to Ford, and then down to his watch. Arthur felt the need to say something, but when his brain was not participating in the decision to find something suitable, he gave up.

As time passed Arthur's body grew more and more relaxed, and stopped trying to locate the reason behind his uncomfortable agitation toward Ford. It was uncharacteristic, Arthur acknowledged for Ford to be in this much excitement over something Earth related. It puzzled the human enough that he suddenly felt like he should say something again.

**"Ford," he said eventually, when it was all over, and Ford was hunting through a stack of cassettes for the tape of ****_Casablanca_, " how come if..."**

In fact, when Ford began to rummage excitedly in the pile of video tapes for _Casablanca,_ Arthur could not help noticing his own body becoming excited as well. His heart beat a little faster, his breath caught a few times at the facial expressions Ford made, and when in the search for the elusive object, their hands landed on it in unison his rapidly pumping heart nearly stopped dead. Arthur felt a warm shiver spread from his finger tips all the way up his arm and down his spine, where he lost track of it. Ford Prefect was eying him with suspicion.

**" This is the big one," said Ford.**

Arthur started a bit at this, and had the humility to blush as well. It faded immediately when Ford turned away and placed the tape into the player. The familiar feeling of his brain racing for answers filled Arthur to the brim. He vaguely registered Ford asking him questions, and while the majority of his inner thoughts were working hard, his autopilot sections answered. This was not the first time he had had a reaction such as this to Ford's presence, but what was troubling him was the memory of when was escaping him. Then Ford asked a question that brought him back.

**" How come if what?"**

**" What?"**

**" You started to say, ' how come if...'"**

**" How come if you're so rude about the Earth, that you..."**

Suddenly it was there. _" Then why the hell did you bother?" _

The whole scene replayed itself for Arthur's benefit. "_ Sod off. I don't need you." _

He thought of Fenchurch back in the make-shift bunk and turned his head away from Ford's gaze. **"... Oh, never mind, let's just watch the movie."**

**"Exactly," said Ford.**

**

* * *

**

Human beings, as a rule, find it most convenient to pick up on something where they left off. It is the sense of familiarity, and/or the notion of security in life, which leads these creatures to this end of predictability. So to ease the mind of several distressed readers the story will now repeat a sentence very familiar to them.

_It would be some years before Arthur thought of any of this again, and by then, it would have been too late._

Now sufficiently comforted we continue to the end.

* * *

It was indeed several years after that this scene was replaying in Arthur Dent's mind. In fact it came to him at a very extreme and final moment in his life. Fenchurch was long gone and his daughter, by way of Trillian, had just shot a man who Arthur was sure he recognized. **Arthur sat on the stairs with his head between his hands and had not the faintest idea what to do. Ford was sitting on the stair beneath him.**

**"This mean anything to you?" he said.**

Arthur Dent looked at the pack of matches that Ford handed to him. Upon it was inscribed the name of the club they were at. Indeed, this meant many things to Arthur. It came as somewhat of a shock and he looked back at Ford momentarily with what he was certain would be a worried glance. He knew this was going to happen eventually, but he had not anticipated it happening so soon. **He wondered what he should do, but he only wondered it idly. **

The planet was being ripped apart around him. This was going to be the one time he would be unable to escape his planet's destruction. It all seemed a bit wasteful, really. Weren't you suppose to have found something of value on the journey through life? Supposedly, the answer to that was Forty-Two. Arthur thought about this instead. He could not, however, think of anything he had found of value on his journey. And his had been a big journey. That number must mean something other than the meaning. Arthur's brain tumbled and came to rest upon the number on the address of the club: 42. **Through the strangeness of noise and light he could just make out the shape of Ford Prefect sitting back and laughing wildly.**

This was it. This was the defining moment in anyone's life; the moment of their death, and Arthur was spending it staring at the man that he had spent so much of the important parts of his life with. It turns out that Arthur Dent did not mind this much at all. In a whirl of brilliance the galaxy had never before seen, nor would see again, Arthur found his 'something of value.'

On the evaporating planet of Earth, in a club with terrified people frantically rushing around, Arthur Dent leaned the few spaces in front of him it took to connect his mouth with Ford Prefect's. The wild laughter ceased immediately, and lips parted in response. Ford's arms craned up to pull Arthur in closer. The earthman whispered something short and meaningful that went unheard to everyone but the one who was supposed to receive it. Ford smiled against his lips and swallowed the confession into the next and last kiss.

The thrashing of the planet went unnoticed by either of them, but specially to Arthur. **A tremendous feeling of peace came over him, **and as the number forty-two melted away outside with the rest of the street front, **he knew that at last, for once and forever, it was now all, finally, over.**

**

* * *

**A/N again: Sorry about the ending, but I had to keep with the storyline. If it feels a bit rushed toward the end it's because I knew that some people would not heed the Spoiler Warning for Mostly Harmless, and decided that I wasn't going to go into too much detail about what was going on. For those of you who I caused serious angst with ending that last chapter the way I did, I'm sorry too. This whole fanfic was inspired by this scene in Mostly Harmless. I thought it was great that when dying the last thing Arthur sees is Ford being Ford.


End file.
